Heavily-favoured Up With the Birds gave his owner and breeder Sam-Son Farms a record sixth win in the $500,000 Breeders’ Stakes, the third leg in the Canadian Triple Crown, Sunday at Woodbine.
With Eurico Rosa da Silva aboard the three-year-old son of Stormy Atlantic-Song of the Lark, Up With the Birds, much closer to the pace in the mile and one-half turf classic than he was in last month’s Queen’s Plate, took over from longshot Dragon Puff and River Seven turning for home with a quarter-mile to go.
But the race wasn’t over yet, as a game River Seven continued to challenge down the lengthy E.P. Taylor Turf Course stretch on the outside, while several others, including Pyrite Mountain, were looking to furnish rallies.
But Up With the Birds pulled away late for the two and three-quarter length score in 2:28.69 over the firm course. River Seven hung on for second, a neck in front of a troubled Pyrite Mountain, who in turn was a half-length to the good over Global Express in fourth.
Dragon Puff, a 92-1 shot, set the early fractions, taking the field through an opening quarter in :25.45, the half in :51.08, three-quarters in 1:15.94 and the mile in 1:41, before being overtaken and fading to seventh.
It was the first Breeders’ Stakes win for trainer Malcolm Pierce and da Silva, and a record sixth (since 1959) for Sam-Son, but the first since Portcullis in 2002. Other winners included champions Chief Bearhart in 1996 and Dance Smartly in 1991.
“I had a great trip,” said da Silva. “He was very aggressive. He was very keen. He wanted to be there (up with the leaders). I think he knew he lost last time (second in the Queen’s Plate), so he said, this time, Eurico, I do the job.
“When he took the lead, it was hard for another horse to catch him because he wants to take off. He’s all heart. He’s a very good horse.”
Nick Gonzalez, trainer of runner-up River Seven, was pleased with the effort put forth by his gelding, the only horse to contest all three legs of the Triple Crown, while trying turf for the first time.
“I knew it was going to be a fight,” said Gonzalez. “A lot of the horses in the race were proven accomplished turf horses. We were experimenting. But I’m very happy.”
Up With the Birds came into the Breeders’ Stakes off a second place finish, as the 8-5 choice, to Midnight Aria in the Queen’s Plate on July 7, just failing to catch the winner after mounting a furious stretch drive from well back. He did not run in the Prince of Wales, the second leg of the Triple Crown, July 30 at Fort Erie.
“What can I say, I’m very glad to be back,” said Pierce, who worked as an assistant for Jim Day and Mark Frostad for Sam-Son Farms, before venturing out on his own, only to return as sole head trainer for Sam-Son in 2012.
“We always try to freshen our horses and give them lots of time between races. There would have been more pressure if he had won the Queen’s Plate to try for the Triple Crown. But after getting beat in the Plate, it was an easy decision to wait for this race.”
Added Mark Samuel, the CEO of Sam-Son Farms and son of the late founder, Ernie Samuel.
“He was a couple steps away from greatness in the Queen’s Plate. We thought we had a great horse going into that race and he ran a great race. He proved his class on a different surface. He’s looking like he’s very versatile, looks like he can go all sorts of different distances. I’ll wait to pass judgment on where he ranks in the annals of Sam-Son Farm until his career is done. But he’s looking like a special horse.”
It was the third win in five outings this year for Up With the Birds, who earlier scored in the Black Gold Stakes at Fair Grounds on the turf in March, and the Marine Stakes over Woodbine’s Polytrack in May. Last year, he won two of three starts, including the rich Coronation Futurity.
Up With the Birds, who earned $300,000 for the victory to push his career bankroll to $856,879, paid $3.10, $2.30 and $2.10, combining with River Seven ($5.20, $3.40) for a $15.30 (5-9) exactor. A 5-9-1 (Pyrite Mountain, $3.10) triactor returned $41.10 while a $1 Superfecta [5-9-1-3 (Global Express)] was worth $45.05.
lle International Show Jumping Tournament in Orangeville, ON. Photo by Ben Radvanyi Photography
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